Fluorescent lamp



Junie 29 1943. D E. H. WHITTAKER FLUORESCENT LAMP Filed April 15,1942 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1..

ATTORNEYS.

25' v 57 .3,- 4 MW Hil A I ll v f IN\IE NTOR. Edward H.Whfitaker" June 29, 194-3; w n- R 2,323,172-

FLUORE'SCENT LAMP Filed April 15, 1942 s sheets-sheet 2 :NVENTOR.

Eflward H. 'whmaker ATTORN EYS.

June 29, 1943. E H, WHW A 2,323,172

FLUORESCENT LAMP Filed April 15; 1942 3 Sheets Sheet 3 Q 2 6/ I 5' 1 f /r44 25 g N i b, g

4 .da IJJ'I 5| 53 I ,7 20. .2 l 38 40 v INVENTOR. FIG. 9-. i Edward I-Lwhfltakar' I 42 agi Wm IATJI'ORNEYS.

'sembly shown in Figure 2, some Patented June 29, 1943 caries rnuonssc H. ttaker, .lersey City, N. 3.

The present invention relates to lamps of the character embodying a plurality of fluorescent or luminous tubes oi the double ended" urge The principal objects oi the inventionare to providea body part including a plurality of such tubes, which may be used as a ceiling' cr'hanging lamp, as a lantern, or in combination-with a detachable base support, as a table lamp or torchere; and to provide a lamp including a plurality of fluorescent or luminous-tubes oi the double-ended discharge type whicha're inclosely spaced parallel relation and which maybe easily placed and removed, so as to permit change of tubes to obtain diii'erent colored lighting effects, such as two or more series of red, white and'blue colored lights generated by the tubes, or lights all of one color such as white, green, or blue.

Another object of the invention is to provide in fluorescent lamps a simpleyet sturdy sleeveoi a top part of the lamp.

figure isa horlzontalsectional view on substantially the line 5-8 oi Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top plan view on a reduced scale Figure 7 is a bottoni'plan view of the same. Fl 8 is& top planview of a base support to render the invention useful upon some ri'ace such as a table top.

like unit, including a plurality of such tubes,

their bases being of the separable plug and socket type. and such' accessories as may be ne" ry,' such as transformers or control boxes'and separable current connector, to facilitateoi the unit as a part'of a ceiling or hanging lamp, or as a table or readinglampetc ns above set forth.

A further object is to provide a lamp which may be easily and quickly converted from a'hanging to a table lamp or vice versa,- andwhich includes a base support which facilitates dismmbering of the superjacent main body portionpln the event it becomes necessary or desirable to change one or more of the luminous tubes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of my invention, taken in connection with the accouipa drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a ceiling or hanging lamp constructed according'tomyin vention. I r Y Figure 2 is a similar view showing it adapted to be used as a table or reading lamp.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing a portion of the elements of the lamp adapted to be used to give 'a ia-ntem or torchere eflect.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the asparts being broken away to disclose details.

Figure 9 is a view in horizontal section show= a typical base of the separable plug and socket type, and adjacent parts whicli'may be used with A my invention.

In the drawings, I'huve shown the preferred -v-""'=:-'-en t of my inventiom It comprises a base surt id, for table use, a barrel -like main i part ii detachably rest 1 upon the support, a globe is removabiy carried by body rt In Figural is shown-a canopy l8,

it. with electric current wires to extending thereiromand a wa eye it as a typical example of means for suspending pendant lamps which may be used with my invention.

e"support it may be mader'elatively' plain or ornamental as desired. in theexample shown, it comprises a horizontal flange it, a raised bottom i! and an upstanding annular flange is, providing anu'pwardly opening circular recess it. For a p rpose to be subsequently set forth, the bottom I! has a centrally located upwardly opening polygonal socket to.

Referringi'now to the main body part H which is barrel-like in shape, it comprises a" lamp bottom it, u sleeve-like luminous tube supporting unit 22; a lamp top 23; and means 26 detachably supporting the bottom 2! and top 23 with In the example shown, the bottom 2! comprises a hub portion 21 having. an upwardly flaring way 28' for the reception of the lowerend portion of rod 25; and upwardly. and outwardly extending conical bottom 28 extending therefrom; and upstanding peripheral flange 30 at the upper portion of bottom 29; a horizontal ledge ing inwardly oi the bottom of flange upstanding-"flange 32 at the inner edge or ledge 8|. The flange 3! is preferably made up of a great number of joined horizontally arcuated wall sections 83, as shown in Figureb iora purpose'to be subsequently setiorth. I

The unit-22 comprises a great number of elec- Bi extend- I0; and an trio lamps 34 of the tubular double-ended discharge type, such as is shown in the C. 8. Peterson patent 2,160,786 granted May 80, 1929; a lamp base 38 for each end of each lamp 34, said bases 38 each comprising separable plug and socket members 31 and 33, respectively, and preferably of the type shown in said Peterson patent, so that the socket member 38 has a main body portion 33 and a lateral socket extension 40, and the plug member 31, a main body portion 4| secured to the lamp 34 and a terminal carrying extension 42 adapted to be irictionally held in the extension 40; an upright sleeve-like reflector 43 provided with notches 44 at spaced intervals along its upper and lower margins, the notches of either margin aligned with thenotches of the other margin, and with the extensions 40 of the bases 30 projecting thru the notches 44, and the main body portions 39 of the socket members 38 abutting the inner face of the reflector: and an upright sleeve-like carrier 48 for the lamp bases 36. which have the main body portion 39 thereof secured to the outer face of the carrier 4l as by stud bolts 48 and nuts 41. The unit 221 may also include a separable current conductor 43 of any suitable type, such as one having a socket member 49 and a plug member 50, the socket member being secured to the carrier 45 in any suitable manner. The unit 22 may also include any necessary control boxes 5| containing the usual relay and reactor or transformer (not shown in the drawings) which may be necessary for operation of the lamps 34.

It is preferred to mak the sleeve-like carrier 45 corrugated as shown in Figures 4 and 5, so as to provide crowns or ribs 52 against which the socket members 38 abut and are secured,

and valleys 53 in which the control boxes 5! may be accommodated, as well as wires 54 for conducting current to the lamps 34.

In assembling the unit 22', the reflector 43 and carrier are held in concentric relation with their upper and lower ends in parallel planes by securing the socket members 38 to, the earrier with the extensions 40 extending thru the notches 44 of the reflector. Using thetype of lamp bases shown in the aforesaid Peterson patent, permits the lamps 34 to be closely spaced and easily placed or removed without revolving the lamps, a push or pull motion sufllcing to place or remove the lamps together with their plug members.

The unit 22 rests on ledge 3| of .lamp bottom 2!, with the outer and inner flanges of the latter engaging or closely related to the plug members 31 and the corrugations of the carrier 45, respectively, thus centering the unit 22 on the lamp bottom. The arcuate walls 33 are preferably shaped to conform to the circumferential faces of the plug members 31 and lamps 34, lending good appearance to the asesmbly, concealing the plug members 31 and if desired, the zones or the lamps 34 where the filamentary electrodes or heating coils I5 are located.

The lamp top 23 preferably comprises a cap portion 5|, to rest upon unit 22' and having a depending flange 51 surrounding the upper portions of the lamps 34, the cap portion having a hand-hole 58 thru which access may be had to the interior of unit 22, as for placing or removing the plug member a spider 59 carrying a hub til having an upwardly flaring way I for reception of the upper portion of rod 24 and to center the lamp top with respect thereto; and a dome-like portion- 82 having a hand-hole 83 similar to hand-hole 58.

The globe I2 is adapted to rest upon the domelike portion 82 and in the example shown comprises a dome-like portion 64 mainly to shade the upper portions of the lamps 34 and to reflect illumination therefrom downwardly when used as a table or reading lamp; this dome-like portion having a hand-hole 65 in the upper portion thereof for access to the interior of the unit 22; and a downwardly and inwardly extending flange 66 to engage the margin of hand-hole 63. The globe may be made relatively thick at its upper portion, as by a rim bulge 61, to reinforce it throughout the major portion of its engagement with portion 62 of the lamp top. It is, of course, understood that this globe may be plain or ornamented as desired; and may be dispensed with in the event it is desired to use the unit 22 as a lantern or torchere, as suggested by Figure 3.

The nut 28 is of a size to fit the socket 20, and the upwardly and outwardly extending bottom 29 '01 the lamp bottom assists in centering the body part II on base support Ill by sliding engagement with the flange l8 of the latter, if it is not initially centered with respect thereto. The handle 25' may be a hook for engagement with the eye I! as shown in Figure 1 to suspend the body II from the ceiling or other support, and to aid in rotating the rod 24, while the base support I ll acts as a wrench when it is desired to dismember the lamp. The upwardly flaring ways 28 and 82 of hubs 21 and 60 aid in reassembling. The sleeve-like unit 22 may be readily removed from the lamp bottom and top and set to one side when changing one or more of the lamps 34, such as to change the color arrangement or replace defective lamps. The lamps 34 may be closely spaced, just suflicient to permit a person to place the index finger and thumb in embracing relation to the selected tube and by a pull, and without twisting, remove same from the assembly. Likewise, a new or different tube may be placed by a mere pushing force.

No attempt has been made to show all of the wiring for the lamps 34 since such forms no part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A convertible table-hanging lamp comprising a base support, for table use, provided with an upwardly opening polygonal socket; a centering rod provided with a polygonal nut in screw threaded engagement with the lower end of the rod, said nut resting freely in said socket; a lamp bottom resting freely upon said base support, and nub, provided with a hub surrounding the lower portion of. said rod above said nut; a sleevelike luminous tube supporting unit resting upon said lamp bottom and surrounding said centering rod; and a lamp top, resting upon said sleevelike unit, and provided with a hub surrounding said rod whereby raising of said centering rod will raise, with it, said lamp bottom, tube supporting unit and lamp top.

2. A lamp comprising a. base support, for table use, provided with an upwardly opening polygonal socket; a centering rod provided with a polygonal nut in screw threaded engagement with the lower end of the rod, said nut removably fitting in said socket; a lamp bottom removably resting upon said base support and nut, provided with a hub surrounding the lower portion of said rod; a sleeve-like luminous tube supporting unit resting upon said lamp bottom and surrounding said centering rod and including plug member having circumferential faces; and a lamp top, resting upon said sleeve-like unit, and provided with a hub surrounding said rod, said lamp bottom provided with a vertically-extending flange comprising a plurality of horizontally arcuate wall sections, engaging the circumferential faces of said sleeve-like unit laterally to hold it centered with respect to said rod.

3. In a lamp, a lamp bottom; a. vertical centering rod extending upwardly therefrom; a sleeve-like luminou tube supporting unit carried by said bottom and surrounding said rod; means to support a globe and to center said sleeve-like tube supporting unit with respect to said rod, including a lamp top resting upon said sleeve-like unit and comprising a hub surrounding and in contact with said rod, a fiange, concentric with said hub, engaging the upper portion of said sleeve-lik unit to center it with respect to said rod, and a dome-like portion extending upwardly and inwardly fromsaid flange; and a globe resting upon said dome-like portion and extending downwardly therefrom in laterally spaced relation to the upper portion of said sleeve-like unit and with its bottom edge below said flange.

4. In a fluorescent lamp, the combination with a plurality of electric lamps of the tubular double-ended discharge type, of an upright sleeve-like reflector provided with notches at spaced intervals along its upper and lower margins. the notches of either margin being aligned with the notches of the other margin, a lamp base for each end of said lamps, each base comprising separable plug and socket members, one

01 said members of each base having a main body portion and a lateral extension, and a longitudinally corrugated upright sleeve-like carrier for said members of the lamp bases having th main body portions and extensions, said carrier disposed within and concentric to'said reflector and in spaced relation thereto, said last mentioned members of said lamp bases having their main body portions disposed between said reflector and the crowns of the corrugations of said carrier and their lateral extension projecting thru the said notches of the reflector.

5. In a fluorescent lamp, the combination with a plurality of electric lamps of the tubular double-ended discharge type, l of an upright sleeve-like reflector Provided with notches at spaced intervals along its upper and lower margins, and inwardly-extending, spaced apart con trol boxes along its lower margin, the notches of either margin being aligned with the notches of the other margin, a lamp base for each end of said lamps, each-base comprising separable plug and socket members, one of said members of each base having a main body portion and a lateral extension, an upright sleeve-like carrier for said members of the lamp bases having the main body portions and extensions, said carrier having a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally-extending corrugations, providing crowns and valleys, with said plug and socket members abutting said crowns and said control boxes accommodated in said valleys, said extensions projecting thru said notches, and means for supplying current to said lamps, including a separable current connector supported by said sleeve-like carrier in one of said valleys.

EDWARD H. WHITTAKER. 

